U.S. Power Grid at Government-Induced Tipping Point

[rangerrebew]

U.S. Power Grid at Government-Induced Tipping Point
July 1, 2021
By H. Sterling Burnett
 

Climate Change Weekly #402

Modern society is heavily dependent on electric power. Our power systems were designed by competent engineers and operated by skilled staff, so until fairly recently people have generally been able to count on having electricity in their homes and businesses on demand, even during periods of extreme weather. Historically, the U.S. power grid has proven remarkably resilient.

Sadly, as political considerations have increasingly trumped basic physics and engineering, electric power failures have become more common in the past couple of decades in the United States. The decline in the reliability of the electric power system is directly attributable to politicians requiring and incentivizing the replacement of weather-independent sources of electric power (coal, natural gas, and nuclear) with intermittent, variable wind and solar power.

Contrary to the claims of politicians and profiteering utilities, the increase in wind and solar power was not driven by market forces. Through mandates, subsidies, tax credits, and regulations, politicians brought America’s power system to the brink of failure in a single generation. The U.S. electricity grid is quickly reaching a tipping point as ever-more green energy is forcibly incorporated and increasing numbers of reliable power plants are taken offline.

https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/us-power-grid-at-government-induced-tipping-point

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Modern society is heavily dependent on electric power. Our power systems were designed by competent engineers and operated by skilled staff, so until fairly recently people have generally been able to count on having electricity in their homes and businesses on demand, even during periods of extreme weather. Historically, the U.S. power grid has proven remarkably resilient.

Sadly, as political considerations have increasingly trumped basic physics and engineering, electric power failures have become more common in the past couple of decades in the United States. The decline in the reliability of the electric power system is directly attributable to politicians requiring and incentivizing the replacement of weather-independent sources of electric power (coal, natural gas, and nuclear) with intermittent, variable wind and solar power.

Contrary to the claims of politicians and profiteering utilities, the increase in wind and solar power was not driven by market forces. Through mandates, subsidies, tax credits, and regulations, politicians brought America’s power system to the brink of failure in a single generation. The U.S. electricity grid is quickly reaching a tipping point as ever-more green energy is forcibly incorporated and increasing numbers of reliable power plants are taken offline.

https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/us-power-grid-at-government-induced-tipping-point

This cannot be over-emphasized.

We will become third-world with frequent blackouts if we continue down this path of self-destruction.

[Fishrrman]

Bring back coal.

Most reliable source of energy from power plants that there is.

Cheap, plentiful and (with modern technology) CLEAN.

[Joe Wooten]

Bring back coal.

Most reliable source of energy from power plants that there is.

Cheap, plentiful and (with modern technology) CLEAN.

Actually, if you want to consider reliability first, coal cannot compete with the nukes. Many nukes run at about 95% capacity factor.

[libertybele]

Bring back coal.

Most reliable source of energy from power plants that there is.

Cheap, plentiful and (with modern technology) CLEAN.

We need a government of the people, FOR the people!

[rustynail]

Maybe a few days with the grid down Might(?) wake the people up.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Maybe a few days with the grid down Might(?) wake the people up.

Already happened last winter in Texas, resulting in 100% of the state Public Utility Commission being fired and new laws addressing reliability of grid.

Also in California, resulting in likely recall of its Governor, among other reasons.

But Biden trudges on attempting to place even more strain on the grid by trying to eliminate all but Electric Cars, and the Congress in ramming through a " Green New Deal" in its misnamed Infrastructure bill.